BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Listen Labs: Enterprise AI customer research platform that recruits participants, runs AI-moderated interviews, and delivers executive-ready insight reports. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and Listen Labs when enterprise concept and prototype testing with recruited participants matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application.
Enterprise AI customer research platform that recruits participants, runs AI-moderated interviews, and delivers executive-ready insight reports.
BetterDictation is a system-wide dictation tool for macOS that converts speech into typed text inside any application. Users trigger it with a keyboard shortcut (Option+Space) and can choose push-to-talk or toggle-to-talk modes; the transcribed text is then inserted directly where the cursor sits. It runs OpenAI's Whisper model locally on Apple's Neural Engine, so basic transcription works fully offline and, per the vendor, no audio recordings or transcripts are stored. It supports 100+ languages and applies automatic punctuation. The app requires Apple Silicon (M1 or newer); Intel Macs are not supported. An optional Pro add-on adds stammer correction, automatic formatting, and post-processing of dictations. It is aimed at people who write or capture text frequently, such as founders, engineers, and writers, who want to dictate emails, documents, notes, and messages rather than type them. Because it works across all apps, it can be used to capture spoken notes alongside meetings, though it is a general dictation utility rather than a dedicated meeting-recording assistant.
Best suited for
Listen Labs is an AI-first customer research platform that automates the qualitative research workflow end to end, from study design and participant recruitment through AI-moderated interviews to insight delivery. Its AI interviewer conducts personalized, in-depth conversations with each participant, asking follow-up questions and understanding context without a human moderator, and the platform supports video, audio, and text formats in 100-plus languages with automatic translation and transcription. Studies can incorporate stimuli such as videos, images, and Figma prototypes, and recruitment draws on a global network of tens of millions of qualified participants, with the option to integrate existing recruitment providers or bring your own audience. Once interviews complete, Listen Labs automatically packages results into executive-ready outputs, surfacing key themes and takeaways, generating personas, and producing highlight reels and slide decks, with turnaround measured in hours rather than the weeks typical of traditional research. The company is venture-backed and reports use by large consumer and technology brands, positioning the platform for enterprises looking to replace or supplement surveys and traditional market research with scalable AI-led interviews. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Listen Labs is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Listen Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | AI interviewer running personalized video, audio, and text interviews |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Global participant recruitment with bring-your-own-audience option |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Stimulus testing with videos, images, and Figma prototypes |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Automated key themes, takeaways, and persona generation |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Executive-ready reports with highlight reels and slide decks |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Support for 100+ languages with translation and transcription |
BetterDictation
Choose BetterDictation if you need dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps — strengths include runs locally on-device for privacy; vendor states no audio or transcripts are stored.
Listen Labs
Choose Listen Labs if you need replacing or supplementing surveys with scalable ai-led customer interviews — strengths include end-to-end automation from recruitment to executive-ready deliverables.
BetterDictation
Listen Labs
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Listen Labs is strong for replacing or supplementing surveys with scalable ai-led customer interviews. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Listen Labs is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.
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